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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. stock — shares
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com